Seven Eighths
by Lindir
Summary: A look into why Resshin might have waited so long to accept Recca, and what the other dragons thought of his actions. [finished]
1. Principal Conflict

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Disclaimer: Recca no Honou belongs to its respective owner(s). 

Seven Eighths  
A Recca no Honou fanfiction

By Katanashi (Inazuma@cephiro.com)

Note: This fanfiction is involving the Hachiryu, or the eight flame dragons of Recca. Their names are Saiha, Nadare, Homura, Setsuna, Madoka, Rui, Kokuu, and Resshin.  
Resshin is the leader of the Hachiryu, and he is also Recca and Kurei's father.  
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**Pt. 1: Principal Conflict**

  
* * * * * 

Nadare sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Resshin, I know you want Recca to grow strong, but at the very least you could be a little kinder to him." 

The Karyu leader shot her a frown. "Since when have you been so interested in how I treated my son, Nadare?" 

Translation: It's none of your business and stay out of it. 

Unfortunately, that was the last thing Nadare planned on doing. She had truly begun to care for her new master; his astounding will and sincerity touched her heart where it had never been affected before. Resshin may have been the greatest flamemaster of the Hokage, but Nadare was not about to let him antagonize his own son in such a way. 

"Ever since he became my- no, our new master," she replied as calmly as she could. Resshin's frown deepened, but he didn't make any motion to interrupt her. "Resshin, he's your son, and I know you just want him to be the best he can be. You and I both believe that he can surpass all of us and become the greatest flamemaster ever." 

"Hey, don't I have any say in this?" Madoka complained good-naturedly. "I like Recca too; he's a good kid. And he's got a lot of potential to become very good at flame-throwing." 

"You just like him because he's the only one who figured out how to break your shield," Kokuu tossed back. He pulled his shades down with a wink and eyed Rui, who promptly changed her appearance so that the kimono covered her completely. Kokuu, naturally, was disappointed. 

"Nani?" Madoka was indignant. "How dare you say that!" 

"Really? So Recca wasn't the first to break through your shield! Madoka, are you really the King of the Kekkai?" 

"I wasn't talking about that, you lech! I meant I wasn't that shallow!" 

"Is that so…" 

"Why you--!" A squabble with an excess of name-calling ensued between the two. 

Homura's deep voice rose above the bickering. "He'll make a fine warrior; there's no doubt about that. He's already very accomplished for his age." 

"I agree." Nadare turned in surprise to Saiha. Other than Setsuna, Saiha was the most belligerant of the dragons. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, Resshin. If anything, you should be extremely proud of him." 

"Who said I was ashamed of Recca?" Resshin demanded. He slammed a fist on the table, causing all seven other dragons to fall silent. "I'm not ashamed of him! If I'm ashamed of anyone, it's Kurei! That a son of mine could act so despicably!" 

"You're not being fair again, Resshin," Nadare declared. "Kurei has had an indescribably horrifying childhood. You can't expect him to really be as normal and as sane as Recca." 

"Even Recca can be an insanely stupid idiot sometimes," Koku muttered under his breath. Nadare had to agree with that. 

"He does need more experience," Resshin continued. "I know he's gained all- well, most of you's respect," he looked pointedly at Setsuna, who sat in the corner, a hideous half-grin twisting his face. "And I know that some of you even go out of your way for him. But he needs to grow more and to become more of a man." 

"Resshin, he's only seventeen!" Nadare protested, her own temper starting to snap. "Let him be a teenager for at least a little bit! Why make him grow up so suddenly? He'll have the rest of his life to grow up, but he'll never be a child again!" 

"He's had sixteen years to be a child!" Resshin snarled. "That's more than enough! He needs to accept his destiny now, as the leader of the Hokage! He needs to take the responsibility he was destined for!" 

Destiny. Nadare recoiled as she heard it. That word stung her ears and burned her mind to ashes. How she hated that word, and the utter helplessness it described! Red flames seemed to leap before her eyes, filling her mind with an preternatural red haze. Destiny. Not letting anyone have a choice in their lives. 

Resshin might believe destiny put Recca in this position. But Nadare never believed in destiny. Not since it had destroyed her life. 

"Destiny means nothing!" she screamed. Madoka, sitting next to her, jumped at her shrill cry and scuttled a little distance away, eyeing her warily. "NOTHING! How DARE you say that destiny controls Recca's life when you're trying to manipulate his life into your own! He's your SON!" 

Saiha's eyes widened as he watched the normally demure girl turn into a raging, explosive woman. He'd never guessed Nadare had such a grudge against Resshin for putting Recca through so many unnecessary trials, including his near death experience with Kurei and the Kurei clone. 

"Don't you understand?! You're using destiny as an excuse! YOU want to control Recca's life! No wonder you were the last dragon to accept him! And you still don't accept him! You used your damn leader's role as a wall between you and him! Don't you know that hurts him?! He never chose to be your son, the seventh generation of the Hokage! Do you think he WANTS this?! He wants to have the eight of us all inside of him? Did he want to be sent 400 years into the future, have a mother who is immortal and has shadows in her eyes all the time, and a father who keeps him at a distance and wants to control him?!" 

"Enough." Resshin's voice was cold. Nadare sucked in her breath abruptly, suddenly filled with apprehension. She'd never heard Resshin sound so angry. "Nadare, I don't know what's gotten into you, but it must stop at once. I will not have you critisizing how I train my son, and furthermore--" 

"Your son," Nadare managed to get out through clenched teeth, "Will most likely DIE if you keep this up, Resshin. Can't you see that he's already starting to crack under the pressure? He just got through a killing tournament! None of us ever had to go through that before, where if we lost a match we'd be killed! Right away, he's pitted against Kouran again, not to mention the remaining Uruha, which is already being bolstered again to replace the members lost during the Ura Butou Satsujin. The last thing he needs is you to drag him back here and have a fight with him when he's already been beat up. And I know you think that his love for that girl is petty-- " 

"Nadare." Resshin's voice grew colder still. "Enough." Flames began to dance from his hand, signifying an unspoken threat that would become reality if she chose to continue speaking. 

Upset as she was, Nadare was still a very sensible person, and she knew that she had already crossed the line and was dangerously close to enraging Resshin. True, she was a highly skilled flamemaster, but Resshin easily surpased her. There was no doubt who would win if they got into a fight. 

But she was upset enough to feel a loathing at staying even in the same room as Resshin; his blindness to his son's emotional state was painful for both her and Recca, whom she cared dearly about. Hearing him state so surely and steadfastly that he'd continue this grueling test on Recca had been the last straw. 

Nadare didn't stay to find out any more. She stood quickly and fled out of their room, knocking a chair over in her haste. She flung open the door and ran outside, not caring where she ran, as long as she was increasing the distance between her and that cursed fool of a father. Faintly, she heard Madoka's concerned calls for her to stop and to come back, but she paid them little heed. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle it.

* * * * * 

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Author's Notes: I'd like to just put in here that these characterizations of the dragons are based on both the manga and the anime, but follow the storyline of the manga.  
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	2. Variances

**Pt. 2: Variances**

  


* * * * * 

"Nice going, Resshin," Saiha said sarcastically. 

"You too, Saiha?" Resshin's eyes narrowed. "What is with all of you today?" 

Madoka stood, folded his hands in front of him neatly, and began walking towards the door. 

"Sit, Madoka," Resshin snapped, but with less bite in his voice. "We're not done discussing our next tactic." 

Madoka didn't look back. "Resshin-sama, I hope what Nadare said got through to you." 

Dead silence reigned in the room. 

"I was a bit leery of bringing the subject up to you," Madoka continued. "You're a tad touchy sometimes, you see--" 

"A tad?" Saiha muttered. 

"Sometimes?" Kokuu mumbled at the same time. 

"-- but Nadare is right; Recca is still a teenager, not a man yet. You cannot force him to grow up; otherwise, you will permanently scar your son and perhaps he will never reach his full potential. Children need time to be children; most of us realize that now, since our childhoods were taken away due to our flames." Madoka paused, then continued on his way. "I'm heading back to my quarters, Resshin-sama. I'd be happy to discuss things tomorrow. But I strongly advise you to think this over carefully, so not sacrifice your son's welfare." With that, Madoka strode out of the room. 

Saiha stood as well. 

"What is it now, Saiha?" Resshin sounded weary. 

Saiha smirked, the expression surprisingly bitter on his scarred face. "I feel sorry for your kid, Resshin. If my oyaji did this kind of shit to me, I'd have hated him forever." The man let his eyes narrow just a bit before he followed Madoka out. 

Homura rose swiftly and exited without a single word or glance. 

Rui silently disappeared. "Resshin-sama, do be rational about this, and don't let the ghosts of a time gone by pull your senses in that direction," she called in a haunting voice as she slowly dissapated. 

Resshin seethed, but there was nothing he could do, and nothing he really cared to do. After all, the other dragons were entitled to their own opinions. He turned to Koku almost savagely. "And what about you?" he snarled. 

Koku jumped, then waved his hands in front of him appeasingly. "Maa maa, Resshin-sama! I'm not on either Nadare or your's side!" Resshin glared at him, suspicious. "Of course," Koku continued, a bit too smugly for the other dragon's liking, "I am on Recca's side." 

Before Resshin could respond, Koku had vanished in a puff of smoke. 

Resshin scowled as he glanced around. Only the maniacal Setsuna remained, sitting in the corner and letting drool collect on the floor as the beastly man entertained thoughts of blood and tearing flesh. 

Sighing, Resshin stood and headed for the door as well. Setsuna was worse company than being alone. At least his room wouldn't smell of spit. 

* * * * * 

Nadare blew her breath out as she continued to trudge through the forest. With a flick of her hand, she could have easily summoned a fire to warm herself, but she refrained from it for a reason that she didn't quite understand. Depression and chill just seemed to go hand in hand, and besides, any reference to flame only reminded her of the growing predicament that was ensnaring all of them, whether they liked it or not. 

Oh, she knew Resshin wasn't a bad person by nature at all. He just acted like one sometimes. But underneath, the leader exhibited a sort of perpetually humorous streak that made his eyes dance with a laughter that was never expressed out loud. He hid behind his own shadow, his own legacy left by his life, like all of them. 

Rui, the dragon that nobody knew if it was a man or woman. Apparently Rui was truly a woman; she had a daughter with her husband, whom she had loved very much, but again, Rui was a master at illusions and trickery. There was no doubt in Nadare's mind that Rui could pull off a change of any sort with remarkable ease. Rui was pragmatic, although a bit dreamy at times, and quite good at strategy. She loved to play games and was more catlike than anything else; extremely teasing and playful, but when she played for real it was with a feral ferocity. 

Setsuna was the least-liked dragon for obvious reasons. He seemed more cannibalistic and bestial than human sometimes. Actually, it was more like most of the time, but Nadare was inclined to be generous. In all the centuries Setsuna had been there, Nadare still didn't know whether those eyes hanging from his bandanna were real or fake, and she was squeamish enough not to want to find out. Setsuna had been a nearly god-like warrior; invincible, powerful, with near-perfect attacks and counters. But in return for that power, he had lost his humanity. In a way, Setsuna was a sad case of what could have happened to any of them if they had let the bloodshed get to their heads. But none of them had been blessed with the incredible fighting talent Setsuna had, and for that Nadare was glad. She knew at least one of the other dragons could have turned out that way, had he been given such superb physical ability. 

Homura, for example. He was certainly a top-notch warrior, stubborn when he needed to be, thoughtful whenever that was not the case. He was a man of few words, but every word he spoke was meaningful. Homura, however, was not as good of a fighter as Setsuna, and according to him, that was actually beneficial. He began to think through his battles more, and became a better fighter as a result. He was even diplomatic on occassions, negotiating peaceful surrenders. Homura lived a long and fruitful life with his wife, whom he still visited occassionally when he got a chance to cross the lines into the…other world. Actually, Nadare felt Homura was probably the wisest after Kokuu. 

Kokuu…ah yes, the pervert, the hentai, the lech. Thousands of other names popped into her mind, but she refrained from them. But Kokuu was wise, very wise. Among the most potent of the flame dragons due to his superior intellect and discerning eye, he had seen the heart of Recca and although he had admitted to Resshin that both Kurei and Recca were flamemasters, it was also obvious that his loyalty remained with Recca. Kokuu, in fact, had been a tremendous leader, a tactical genius and extremely difficult to outwit. His casual appearance had been misleading, as well as his diminuative stature. This all contributed to him going down as one of the greatest Hokage of all time. 

Madoka had also been an excellent leader in his time, a trait that still stuck with him even now. He was level-minded, thoughtful, and extremely observant by nature, though one wouldn't have known of that by judging his gregarious outward appearance. Madoka's only fault was that he was overly cautious at times; he had waited until it was almost too late to accept Recca and to save Neon from Ensui's icicle. That too had caused his demise in his human life. He gotten into a rare disorientation when surrounded by the enemies after getting separated from the rest of the Hokage, panicked and gotten killed as a result. So now, he was the "King of the Kekkai", as he called himself-- the ultimate defense so that nothing would ever happen to one of his masters. 

A complete opposite to Madoka was Saiha. Stoic but opinionated (that was certainly putting it mildly), and basically having a typical bad-ass character's reputation, Saiha was actually a softie at heart, although his pride as a man would have him commit seppuku before he would admit that. That was why he'd been the second dragon to accept Recca, after her. His patronizing demeanor sometimes irked more than a few others, and his short, sometimes painfully blunt words stung more times than not, but Nadare knew Saiha never meant anything malicious with any of it. But the image as a tough guy was one he'd kept for his whole life, right up until his death-- an early one, if she remembered correctly. He hadn't even reached his mid twenties before he was killed. As a result, his attitude grew bitter for not living his life out at all. Despite that she knew him better than any of the other dragons did, Nadare still knew very little about him in total, because Saiha hid in himself so much in addition to hiding behind his life. 

A lot like herself. Nadare had hated her human life, and more than once had broken out into curses that blistered the walls against the flame that shone on her right hand. Incompetency was not the reason she'd hated her power; she'd invented the technique of Dan En (Fireball), and used her honou to proportions that no earlier flamemaster had managed to achieve before. One time, she actually incinerated a full acre of land, albeit accidently. 

Why did she hate it? Because she had had no life to begin with. All she had ever known was training, training, and more training with her flame. It had paid off in the end; she had soared to new heights for flamemasters, but she'd never had a chance to truly be herself. Childhood? That word meant nothing to her; no memories could be recalled when the word was spoken. She hadn't had a doll, nor played tag or hide and seek. She'd been trained and pushed only as a warrior. The only reason she hadn't turned out to be as overpowering as she could have been was due to her nature. She was naturally against any sort of bloodshed, and tended to be more merciful than anyone else, a dangerous trait in a Ninja clan, where "no survivors means no witnesses" was an unspoken law. That had brought her own demise; betrayed and stabbed from behind, she knew that she had, in a sense, killed herself. But she welcomed her death; she had hated her life. 

Her past was something she tried so hard to forget, but she knew she would never forget it. It had carved her life into what it had been, and nothing could change the past. Time truly was the most powerful entity; it determined life and death, and countless other precious balances. 

She snorted to herself, a bitter and caustic sound. Since when had she gotten so philosophical? 

This realm is so lifeless sometimes, she thought dully. Although it was nice to have a world where they could create anything they wanted at anytime, it somehow all seemed surreal, fake, or simply unnatural, something that had been fabricated with little thought. Those in Recca's world didn't know how lucky they were to still have a world to call their own that had more than shadows. She stifled a laugh as she remembered when Fuuko, always so curious, wondered openly about where the dragons went whenever they weren't being called by Recca. 

* * * * * 

"You guys shrink or something?" Fuuko asked. She suddenly got excited and began jumping up and down. "Like-- this?" she held up two of her hands and narrowed the space between them. "Kind of like my Fuujin's jewels? Do you guys actually turn into those cool tattoos on Recca's arms?" 

Madoka sweatdropped. "Nadare…help me out," he implored. "I was never good at science." 

Mikagami, standing to the side a bit, rolled his eyes slightly. "I rather think that science at your time was remarkably insufficient compared to now," he remarked acidly. 

Nadare frowned. Although what he said was probably true (science had never been her strong point either), she took offense at his supercilious attitude. He needn't act like they were dunces. "Mikagami-kun," she said, as politely as she could. "Perhaps your mind will realize then that it is unfair to compare two different times?" 

Mikagami only smiled slightly and turned his head to the side. "Nadare-san, you'll also realize that in school now we have a subject called history, in which we discuss exactly that notion." 

Stung by his attitude, Nadare fell silent, silently seething for letting a seventeen year old human to insult her like that, but her good nature prevented any sort of cruel retaliation. Saiha, however, had little reservations in that category. "Oi, Mi-chan--" he drew the words out derisively and was rewarded by a narrowing of Mikagami's eyes. "-- If your science is so advanced, why can't you reproduce the madougu that us primitive people made four hundred years ago?" 

Nadare stifled a laugh at Mikagami's absolutely dumbfounded expression. It was obvious that the thought had never occurred to him in the least. Saiha smirked and folded his muscular arms over his equally muscular chest. "Next time you think about how primitive the Hokage are, remember that, and don't forget you're technically a Hokage now too. No sense in insulting yourself, but if you really want to dent that pretty face of yours, I'd be happy to oblige." He glanced at the woman next to him. "You're just lucky that Nadare isn't someone to actually do that; I don't know how she ever made it as flamemaster so soft-hearted." 

Mikagami didn't reply; instead, a slight smile quirked onto his face. 

Nadare chose to ignore Saiha's indirect insult; he was always impulsive like that anyhow. She'd been dealing with him for a very long time. 

"Well, Nadare?" Fuuko asked. "What do you guys do when you're not shooting fire out at whoever Recca's against?" 

Nadare thought a bit before answering. "Well, Fuuko-san, we actually don't do anything…" 

"So you become like ghosts?" 

"No, no. Do you think we'd actually all inhabit Recca? We need a realm to stay in, for heaven's sake. Human bodies don't enjoy fire too much. A flamemaster actually has the power to reach into our dimension and call us out. In our world, we're human, or at least human spirits. In this world, we're fire dragons." 

"Ehh???" Fuuko looked stumped. "Different worlds? How's that possible?" A thought occurred to her. "If you're inside Recca…wouldn't you make him bloat or something?" she demanded. 

"Bloat?" Nadare pictured a chibi Recca, swelled like a balloon, and barely managed to stifle a laugh. "Well…Fuuko-san, we don't actually live in Recca…we live in a dimension that Recca has the power to access so that he can call us out…" 

"So do you guys just kind of stand guard the whole time? Don't you guys get tired of just waiting for him to call you out?" 

"No, we don't just stand guard--" 

"Then how do you do come out of his arm?" 

"Well…we can sense when he is getting near a battle, so we ready ourselves, and we kind of do stand guard then…" 

"Then what if he has a midnight crisis?" 

"A what?" Nadare was bewildered. 

"A midnight crisis. Something that comes up out of the blue." 

"Oh, that. Time moves differently in our dimension than Recca's. What's a second in his time is like a minute in ours." 

"Time difference too?" Fuuko threw up her hands in frustration. "What next, a ninth dragon?" 

"I don't get this," Domon muttered. 

Mikagami snorted. "Nobody expects you to." 

Madoka nudged Mikagami slyly. "And I suppose you don't either, since you're not putting your two cents in." 

Poor Madoka. He ended up with quite a whallop on the head. 

"So what really goes on? Are you guys all related or what? How does this all work?" 

Nadare groaned inwardly. This was going to be hard. "Ano, where to start…" 

* * * * * 

Nadare sighed. That hadn't really gone well. She had only succeeded in confusing the entire Hokage group even more. Besides, by the time she was done, Madoka was complaining about being cold, and although Saiha remained indifferent, she could tell that he was starting to get a bit chilled too. They weren't used to being in this world, especially in the fall, so after bidding hasty good-byes, the trio gratefully went back into Recca's arm. 

But Resshin…what a stubborn bastard he was. Unconsciously, she had dug her nails into her palms. Nadare would have been delighted to punch Resshin right then and there. Resshin had absolutely no right to do that. As the Karyu leader, Resshin could chose the wielder, but Recca had been at half strength with only seven of them. Kurei had the advantage in that his flame, the phoenix, was only one flame, and did not have eight separate entities. Even the seven of them- her, Saiha, Homura, Setsuna, Madoka, Rui, and Kokuu- all of them, seven flame dragons with devastating powers, could not stand up to a whole flame. They needed Resshin to complete the circle and give Recca his true flame power. That Kurei had beaten Recca didn't mean Recca was weaker. In fact, Recca was stronger; with his own flame incomplete, he had fought Kurei to a stalemate. 

How could Resshin do that? He nearly killed his own son. And now, he wanted to continue to let him be at half strength and see who Recca could defeat. 

Nadare shook her head and wiped her eyes. Recca would be killed if Resshin didn't give him his power soon. There was no doubt about it. The Ura Uruha was astonishingly strong, although none of the really compared to Kurei. Still, sheer numbers could easily defeat Recca, who was slowly exhausting himself. 

"Nadare." 

She jumped, startled. She hadn't heard anyone come up behind her. 

"Madoka called a meeting for us- Recca's dragons," Saiha continued. "Even if his baka oyaji won't accept him, we do. We need to figure out a way to keep him going." 

"You really shouldn't be talking of Resshin-sama that way, Saiha," Nadare said with a somewhat unsteady smile. 

Saiha shrugged his shoulders. "Resshin can take a hike. I'd rather take a rice ball in the face than listen to him talk crap about his son again. Like it or not, Recca's definetely the stronger flamemaster. I don't know what the hell's going through Resshin's bullheaded mind." He clapped a hand companionably on her shoulder. "Come on. We'll figure out some way to help Recca, and screw Resshin; I've had enough." 

Nadare smiled again. "Saiha, you're incorrigible," she told him as the two headed towards the huge mansion. It was probably bigger than Mori Kouran's house. 

"As if I know what that word means," Saiha snorted. 

Nadare punched him lightly on the arm. "Baka. You're not stupid, you're just idiotic. Stop pretending that you're both." 

"Really. I didn't even know there was a difference," the other drawled back. 

Nadare laughed. "Incorrigible idiot." 

* * * * * 

By the time they had gotten into the house, Nadare was soaked to the skin. Saiha shook his head. "Little lady, you sure know how to make yourself sick," he commented. N

adare smiled despite her chattering teeth. "A-A-And I suppose you would know how to make yourself sick too," she shot back, eyeing his own drenched clothes. 

Saiha shook his head again and pushed her gently towards her room. "You call up your flame and dry yourself," he told her. "We're meeting in the Room AC on the second floor." He turned to leave, then noticed that Nadare wasn't moving at all. "What is it?" he asked, slightly impatient. "You're dripping all over the floor, and then Madoka will come and have a fit about the carpets."

"I'm related to him-- wouldn't he throw a fit anyway?"

"This is Madoka, not Resshin."

"Oh, right. Good point."

"Nadare! Stop dripping on the carpet! You too, Saiha!" Madoka yelled as he peered in. 

"Kami-sama, what happened to you? You're soaked!" he exclaimed to Nadare. "I'm fine," Nadare snapped. 

"Are you sure?" Madoka scrutinized her closely.

"I hate relatives," Rui remarked from the doorway. Her robe billowed open again at her chest like it usually did. "I'm glad none of mine became ryu."

"Are you sure? I thought you were related to that eyeballed blood-crazed freak of a dragon," Kokuu interjected less-than-tactfully.

Rui chuckled softly. "Heaven forbid that I have anything to do with Setsuna."

"Are you sure? Nadare, is she related to Setsuna?"

Nadare rolled her eyes. "I thought we went over this before," she said dryly. Heredity became an issue every time a new dragon was welcomed into the ranks, and every time the dragons were summoned. When there was no flamemaster with the dragons as their flame, the dragons were basically free spirits and wandered from realm to realm as they wished. Unfortunately, Nadare had somehow been designated as the one to keep track of any bloodlines connecting dragons. However, she'd found that so far, it was remarkably easy work.

"You might as well go over it," Homura advised. "At least that way some of us will be appeased." He glanced meaningfully at Kokuu and Rui. 

Nadare sighed. "Alright, then." The six of them settled onto the couches; her and Rui on the smaller one next to the window, Saiha, Homura and Madoka the big easy seat aligned perpendicular to theirs. Kokuu took the recliner, as he always did. Nadare summoned her flame and dried herself off, as did Saiha, only the latter had a little bit more difficulty because his favorite flame was, of course, En Jin. Fire blades were made to cut, not dry. Once they had finished evaporating the water, Nadare proceded to recite the surprisingly short geneline.

"There are only three relationships, and they all occured in around the same time range or so. I'm Madoka's great-great niece from his father's side. Saiha is Setsuna's great-great-great nephew by marriage. Homura and Madoka were distant cousins by marriage in Homura's time- which was fully about fifty years apart, and about two hundred years before me and Saiha." Nadare and Saiha had been almost back-to-back flamemasters; Saiha had died about fifteen years before Nadare was born. 

"So you're the one related to the eyeballed freak," Rui said with no small amount of satisfaction, pointing at Saiha. "I'm not in any of your bloodlines."

"That's because we don't know if you're a man or a woman," Saiha shot back. Rui only smiled angelically. 

"Amazing that that's actually all the relations that actually took place among us eight," remarked Madoka. "Since the flame is hereditary--"

"Not all the time," corrected Kokuu. "If it was, we'd have had a huge problem in the clan involving similar genes."

"He's been reading those ningen books again, hasn't he?" Saiha muttered to Homura, who shrugged. 

"It's actually only sparsely hereditary," Kokuu continued. "I've also been keeping track of the Hokage bloodlines, and it was pretty erratic in the first few centuries or so. That's why most of us aren't related."

"I'm curious." Rui's tone lightly thoughtful. "There must be some reason. I remember Kasora wasn't born with the flame. It ended up being my sister's child, Hikaru, who was born with it." Kasora had been Rui and her husband's only child, a daughter.

"The flame isn't a stable power that can be routinely passed on," Kokuu explained. "Like the other madougu, to have the flame, you must also have the right kind of spirit and temperment, to which you were also matched with the correct type of flame. But you must be born with the flame; you can't just pick it up, slap it on your hand, and learn to use it."

"The flame isn't a madougu," Homura said quietly. "It's either a curse or a blessing."

"No wonder both Recca and Kurei became flamemasters," Madoka remarked. "Both of them inherited Resshin's stubborness and perserverance."

"That's not necessarily a good thing," Nadare pointed out. "Recca's stubborness almost got him killed a couple times in the tournament. Especially when you two refused to get along!" She pointed accusingly at Homura and Saiha.

Homura frowned. "We don't exactly always get along, Nadare, but we all try our best all the time, and it's difficult to give more than that."

Nadare sighed. "Well, you two did behave later on," she conceded.

"Behave?" Saiha snorted. "You make me sound like a duck that won't be caught for dinner."

Nadare was about to make a sharp retort, but found herself lacking in any motivation to do so. Sighing, she sank back into the cushions instead, suddenly listless. 

"Nadare, are you alright?" Rui looked concerned. She reached over and felt her forehead. "Good grief, you're burning up!" she exclaimed. "You stayed in the rain too long, didn't you!" Saiha groaned. "I warned you, didn't I…"

"Being a flame dragon doesn't exempt you from being sick," Madoka sighed. "Although you will heal faster. Up to bed, Nadare. No sense in making your illness prolong itself."

"I'm fine!" Nadare protested, despite the fact that she really was starting to feel her fever. She stood to prove her point, only to sway unsteadily as her vision blurred.

Saiha strode over with a sigh of resignation. "You're a lot of trouble, you know that, little lady?" he told her, hooking one arm under her shoulders and the other under her knees, lifting her up.

"Saiha! What are you doing?!" Nadare exclaimed, trying to dislodge his grip so she could get on her own feet. "I told you, I'm fine!"

"Yeah, yeah. And Resshin isn't related to Recca. Stop squirming."

"Put me down!"

Saiha smirked. "If you want to have some nasty bruises along with being sick. You're not going to make it to your room without falling down."

"Nadare, please," Madoka implored. "Just go up and rest for a little bit. It'll do you good anyhow, since you've been working nonstop for the past three days."

Nadare scowled like a little girl. "Madoka, I can't afford--"

Madoka sighed. "We're all looking out for Recca's interests, if that comforts you any. You won't be missing much if you go rest. I'll call you if anything comes up, ok?"

"Demo--" she protested weakly. Her eyelids were starting to become heavy.

Saiha looked decidedly annoyed. "Kuso, Nadare," he grumbled. "Just go, alright?!"

Nadare yawned, and to Saiha's relief, she finally relaxed. "Fine, fine," she relented with a grumble. 

Shaking his head, Saiha headed into the hallways.

* * * * * 

"Do you always have to fight over every little thing like that?" Saiha asked her. 

"No," Nadare answered, smothering another yawn. "But where Recca is concerned, yes."

"Stubborn, aren't you." What could have been a slight smile flickered onto Saiha's face. "But you're a horrible actress." 

"That bad, huh?" 

"Pathetic." 

Nadare laughed. 

Reaching her room, Saiha flicked on a low lamp and carefully set her down on her feet at the foot of her bed. "You can make it from here, can't you?" he asked. 

"Of course," Nadare said tiredly. She got into her bed and pulled the covers over her. "See, I'm fine," she added, just for good measure, before falling asleep almost at once. 

Saiha shook his head again before heading out. Pausing at the doorway, he hestitated, then flicked the light off. "Rest well, little lady," he murmered. 

"Nadare is such an overachiever," Kokuu complained. "She makes all of us look like such slackers." 

Madoka waved his hands appeasingly. "Now, now, she's not that bad. She's just a very hard worker, that's all. And it's not entirely her fault either; we're not exactly helpful sometimes." Rui laughed. "That's what she gets for being Recca's most often called-upon dragon, and his attorney in Resshin's court."

"Wonder what she would do to us if she found out you cast a sleep illusion on her," Kokuu said, snickering. 

"Probably torch our behinds, then scream at us for the next half century," Madoka said in a rare attempt at humor. "Trust me, I know my niece well; she would not take kindly to being forced to rest, even if she knows she needs it."

"You mean your great-great-great niece," Rui corrected.

Madoka frowned. "I actually don't know; I never did have a head for numbers."

Rui rolled her eyes. "Madoka, since when did heredity ever have anything to do with numbers?"

"I can't remember how many greats there is," the other explained promptly. Rui face-faulted.

"Is he stupid?" Kokuu muttered.

Madoka gave him a sour look. "Oh, knock it off." 

Homura crossed his arms over his chest and decided it would be best to intervene before any bloodshed took place. "Oi, Rui. You've been watching that ningen contrapment again, haven't you?"

"The TV? Of course! The stories are soo romantic." Rui brushed a stray lock behind her ear. 

"First Kokuu and that book. Now you and the television. What's next, Saiha and a car?" Madoka asked in exasperation.

"I don't even know what a car is," Saiha remarked as he appeared from the doorway. He sat down at his previous seat.

"Besides, I believe that you take it a bit too far; what on earth possessed you to dress in ningen clothing that even Recca wouldn't be caught dead wearing?" Rui asked with a not-so pleasant smile.

Kokuu shrugged. "Nothing wrong with keeping yourself up to date on stuff," he pointed out, choosing to ignore Rui's barb. He did shoot her a scathing look that as usual rolled right off Rui like raindrops to a slanted piece of glass.

"That's true," Madoka allowed. "But enough talk. Let's get down to business."

* * * * * 


	3. Reminiscence

** Pt. 3 Reminiscence**  


* * * * * 

"The way I see it," Madoka said. "Is that Resshin is basically in denial, in a way. He absolutely doesn't want to give Recca his power for some odd reason and is throwing every single excuse that his mind can think of to keep it that way. That's what's got me, because Recca's a pretty exceptional kid. How many are willing to go through all that hell just to protect a girl?" 

"He definetely has Koheita's spirit," Homura agreed with a nod. "I remember Koheita well; he'd do anything to protect Sakura." 

Kokuu laughed. "Those two…I can't wait to get Koheita and Sakura's opinions on Recca and Yanagi." 

"Don't interfere, Kokuu," Rui scolded. "Your meddling has dire consequences more often than not." 

"I can't think of why Resshin is acting that way," Saiha stated bluntly. 

"Neither can I," admitted Kokuu. 

"But there must be some reason!" Madoka insisted. "Why? Recca's about as good as a son as you can get; if Shikaro was half as determined as Recca is now, I'd have been thrilled beyond belief." Shikaro had been Madoka's eldest son. 

Homura glanced at Madoka. "I believe it has something to do with the fact that Resshin-- or rather, Ohka-- died when Recca was only one year old. He did almost nothing for Recca, and Recca has no memory of him whatsoever, although the fact that he actually didn't have a chance to do anything for Recca must also be taken into account. There's also Kagero involved here; he's put her through a lot of nightmarish situations too, involving the Time Manipulation Spell and immortality." 

"The spell was Kagero's own choice," Saiha pointed out. "Why's Resshin bothered by that?" 

"He couldn't protect her well enough to keep her and Recca safe," Homura explained. "That must have irked him badly as a warrior, that he couldn't even keep his wife and child from danger, and in the end that failure forced his wife to take desperate measures to save their son. In a way, Resshin is indirectly responsible for Kagero's current situation and Recca's as well." 

"Then he's not responding very positively to all this," Rui remarked. There was just the slightest acidic edge on the woman's voice. "He's just burying himself again in the past, thinking on what could have been done instead of what can be done now. How childish." 

"There's nothing that can be done to change what has already happened," Kokuu agreed with a nod. "If he really wants to help Recca now, he'd give him the power of the last flame dragon." 

"Resshin's such a guilt wallower, though," Madoka groused. He scowled at them. "So what happens next? We all know where Recca's stubborness comes from, that's for sure. And we should know by now that it's near to impossible to convince father or son of changing their minds." 

"We have two choices." Homura let his steady gaze fall on each of the four present dragons. "One, we let things sit the way they are. Resshin can keep to himself, amd we can find a way of maximizing the power of the seven of us so we can form as near to a whole flame as possible. Two, we convince Resshin to join up with us and complete the circle of the eight flame dragons." 

Kokuu shook his head. "Don't go trying to change Recca's mind about getting Resshin to burn his tattoo on his arm. That kid will go to hell and back to protect that hime of his. If we tell him the truth, he'll be kicking our butts as hard as he can before we can say one more word if we suggest he forget about Resshin." 

"Which truth is that?" Homura asked dryly. 

Kokuu looked unusually grim. "He won't be able to beat Kurei without Resshin." 

Saiha let out his breath in a whoosh. "Che, Kokuu, you actually had me on an edge for a second there. I thought you had something meaningful to say, not something we already knew." 

"Oh, shut up, Saiha," Kokuu snapped, peeved. "I was actually enjoying what little time I had that wasn't filled by your incessant needless stupid comments." 

"Boys, boys!" Rui reprimended. "Let's not get carried away, shall we?" 

"Boy? I'm 500 years old!" 

"Who made you my mother anyway?" 

Madoka groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Oh, no…not this again." 

Homura sighed. "I'm wishing Nadare was back down here. She could defuse this situation without a hitch." 

"Always the peacemaker, that she is." Madoka scratched his head. "Well…you did have a point back there. We have two choices, and I'm more for the second one. I'm not too fond of Kurei, that's for sure." 

"I prefer the second one myself," Homura admitted. "But for different reasons. As far as I'm concerned, Recca's done nothing wrong; this is all Resshin's problem, and he's the one that's going to deal with it. Recca shouldn't have to suffer because of his father's sulking." 

"That's lovely and well, but who's going to talk to Resshin about this?" Rui asked practically. "Certainly not me; four centuries old or not, he's still a man. All he would do is stare at me." 

"You tend to play games too much anyway," Madoka said, his neutral tone keeping Rui from thinking the comment was a veiled insult. 

Homura smiled faintly. "I'm afraid I wouldn't be a good choice either." 

"You don't talk enough to really get on Resshin's case," Rui commented. "The only way to get Resshin to admit this is to guilt trip him big time, and you, Homura, can't talk enough to keep a fly from being bored." 

Homura didn't bat an eyelash, but his tone held a note of irritation. "Let's not get nasty here, Rui. None of us are in a good mood." 

"Saiha is definetely out," Madoka decided after a short pause. "You know him; his attitude will definetely get on Resshin's nerves before either of them finish their first sentence. That leaves me or Kokuu." 

"Or Nadare," Rui reminded him. 

"Or Nadare," he agreed. "Should all three of us go?" 

Homura shook his head. "You'll set Resshin back to a defensive attitude again, and that's where his stubborn streak shows the most. You'll want to avoid that as much as possible." 

"Kokuu actually knows the current Hokage the best, and Kurei as well," Rui pointed out. "You'll need him along to point out how Resshin needs to help Recca." 

"But he throws a lot of attitude in Resshin's face a lot of the time," Homura countered. "Resshin's not too fond of his nerve." 

Madoka sighed. "Then again, I think we'd all agree that Kokuu is the most knowledgeable of us on almost anything. Resshin may not like his attitude, but he certainly respects Kokuu's opinion. Besides, Kokuu only throws attitude when he's not dealing with something that's deadly." 

"Oh, and Recca's situation isn't deadly?" Rui asked scathingly. 

"It's not." Madoka shot Rui a warning glance. "It's urgent, but not dire. We've got a little time." 

"True." Homura thought about it. "You know, it's probably best if you and Kokuu go. Nadare tends to get a bit too emotional when it comes to Recca's welfare." 

"Besides, I think Resshin's mad at her right now." Rui's eyes seemed to dance in silent laughter. 

Madoka chuckled. "Maybe mad isn't the right word. More like resentful that she brought up a sore point." 

"Sore indeed," Homura murmered. "Opened up a wound that had festered for four long centuries. That must be painful for him." 

"Kami-sama, whose side are you on, Homura?" Rui exclaimed crossly. 

"Recca's, of course," Homura returned calmly. 

"From the way you talk, you should be on Resshin's side," the illusionist dragon grumbled. 

Madoka took a very deep breath. "Look, Rui, I know you're not exactly happy with how things turned out--" 

"I wish Resshin would just get his act together." Rui pursed her lips and stood abruptly. "This is sickening from someone who's supposed to be our leader. If this happened during my time, the Hokage would have been extinct and there would have never been a Resshin or Ohka or whatever his cursed name was." 

"So Resshin shouldn't be the leader?" Kokuu asked dryly, having rejoined the conversation after an irate Saiha stormed out. "What a show of support, Rui." 

"I never said that, Kokuu. Don't you go putting words into my mouth," Rui said severely. "I'm just tired of this. Why does this have to drag on when the solution could be so direct?" She disappeared with a sweep of her robes in a huff. 

Madoka groaned. "First Resshin, then Nadare, then Saiha, and now Rui, not to mention Setsuna. My goodness, how sad. Eight flame dragons, and five abandon the meeting." 

"Really? It's not that bad, Madoka. Maybe in your time, but in my day, if there were even two people in a meeting, then we were lucky." Kokuu looked as though he couldn't decide whether to be annoyed or amused. 

"We might as well just forget about Recca for now, then," Homura said with a sigh. "Tea, anyone?" 

* * * * * 

Saiha wasn't really big-- he was tall, and well built, but didn't occupy a substantial amount of space. Therefore, the huge swath of charred ground he caused as he stormed through the same woods he had dragged Nadare out of a mere hour before was due mostly to his flame. That BASTARD. Someday, he'd rip Kokuu apart head to toe, if he ever got the chance, and if he ever got mad enough to do it. 

Mumbling a creative mixture of swear words that could probably tear the paint off a wall if spoken loud enough, he tore right through a group of bushes, then stopped where he was and scowled. 

"You know, Saiha, if you kept that face long enough, it'll eventually freeze on your face," a voice remarked behind him. "And I can't say it wouldn't suit you."

Whirling, he had grabbed the person by the collar and was about to decapitate him or her with En Jin when a barrage of fireballs knocked him away and sent him stumbling and reeling. _ Nadare?_ he thought in disbelief.

"Gomen, Saiha," he heard her say apologetically. "But I couldn't let you behead Rui, could I?"

"Eh, it wouldn't have mattered," Rui scoffed. "I would have just changed into a flame dragon. You can't cut flame."

Nadare laughed. "How true." Walking over, she offered him a hand. Saiha just shot her his patented scowl and stood without taking her hand. While he was discreetly brushing some dust off his clothes, Nadare shot Rui a look and rolled her eyes. Rui giggled.

Saiha glanced back at them suspiciously. "What?"

"Nothing," Nadare said, innocently enough. Saiha glared at her, but only the mirth in her eyes disclosed anything. He was sure he was missing something, but he didn't know and frankly, he didn't care. He'd had his share of the womenfolk around here outsmarting him, and from experience he knew it was a lost cause.

"I thought you were asleep," he grumbled to Nadare, keeping a watchful eye on a giddy Rui.

"I was, but Rui woke me up," she explained. "Besides, how dumb did you guys think I was? I can tell a sleep illusion from a mile away."

Saiha's eyebrow arched upwards. "Really," he drawled. "Then why didn't you throw that hissy fit that we all know so well?"

Nadare laughed. "I figured I needed the rest anyway. I seriously wasn't trying to overwork this time, but with Recca's welfare at stake and the final battle approaching soon…"

"We need to solve this problem, and fast." Rui gave him a pointed look. "And that means no giving-Resshin-attitude when we go talk to him."

"What are you talking about?!" he demanded.

"Oh, come on, Saiha." Rui sounded exasperated. "Don't act dumb. You know you always throw this incredibly sarcastic attitude towards Resshin, and like Madoka said, that really irritates him and sets him on an edge. Why can't you both just stop it?"

"Honestly, Saiha, you are such a child sometimes," Nadare said with a shake of her head.

"I am not!" he snapped back. "Resshin's the one who always starts it!"

Both of the women sweatdropped. "I rest my case," Nadare muttered.

Saiha, realizing he'd just proved what Nadare had said about him, lapsed into silence with a look of extreme annoyance on his face. "I'll be good," he mumbled under his breath, severly chagrinned. "Just let me know when." Without another word he stalked off towards the house.

Rui snickered. "Isn't he such a little boy? You'd think we told him to leave his kid sister alone or something that has his favorite toy!"

Nadare chuckled. "Aren't we all kids at heart?"

Rui only laughed. "Strange kids, then." 

* * * * * 

Madoka looked up sharply. "Nadare, what are you doing out of bed?" he demanded sharply. Kokuu and Homura also glanced up in surprise. 

"Cut it out, Madoka," she said, irritated. "I'm not an invalid. Anyway, that's not the reason we came here. The final battle with the Ura Uruha is approaching fast-- you know that as well as I do. We need to get Resshin into this, whether we agree with him or not." 

Kokuu nodded, but his voice was strained. "And how do you propose that?" 

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "That's why I came here." She laughed ruefully. "A full circle, isn't it? We started here to help Recca, and we're ending here to help Recca." 

"Well, there's more at stake now than there was before," Madoka said grimly. "Guess who Aoi managed to dupe into going with her as a prisoner to Kouran's hideout." 

"What?!" Rui exploded. "You can't tell me Recca fell for something as stupid as that!" 

Kokuu toppled to the floor. Sweatdrops appeared on the other three dragons' heads. "Eh…" For the first time since he'd become a flame dragon, Madoka was at a loss for words. 

Homura was the first to recover from his stupor. "Ano, Rui…no, it wasn't Recca, it was--" 

"Let me guess," Saiha announced derisively from the door. "It's that hime of his, isn't it?" 

Homura nodded. "Yes, Yanagi was captured." 

"Saiha! When'd you come back?" Kokuu demanded at the same time. 

Saiha snorted. "I was up there trying to figure out a way to fix the wall after I punched through it." 

"Again?" the other five exclaimed in unison. 

"Oh, shut up," Saiha muttered, chaffed that he'd become so predictable. 

Nadare stepped in. "Anyhow, we need to stay on track. What are we going to do?" 

Madoka looked thoughtful. "Well, we'll need someone to inform Recca of meeting Resshin, someone to tell Resshin to meet Recca, and then set it up." 

"Oh, that's simple," Saiha grumped. "It's only what we've been trying to do for the last six thousand days." 

"You promised you keep your attitude in," Nadare reminded him. 

Kokuu stood. "I'll be the one to talk to Recca. The Hokage know me the best out of all of you anyway. Besides, I think I have the best grip on the situation-- and I have something to tell them that I've been meaning to let out, but I haven't found the right way or time." 

"You want to tell them?" Rui's voice was gentle. "Kokuu, if you don't want to, there's no reason to tell them. They won't benefit either way." 

Kokuu shook his head. "No, I should tell them," he said gruffly. "This is for the best. I made the madougu they use, and it's the madougu that are making their lives so difficult. It's my responsibility to tell them who made them and in a sense made their lives this way." 

Rui nodded. "Alright." 

"Then what about Resshin?" Madoka asked. 

Nadare stood up. 

"Nadare, you and Resshin just don't get along on an issue like this…" Homura began reluctantly. 

"I wasn't volunteering, Homura," Nadare said quietly. "We should all go talk to Resshin." 

"But that'll make him even more difficult," Madoka objected. 

"Then we bully him into seeing the light," Nadare persisted stubbornly. 

"Bullying and Resshin don't go in the same sentence." 

"They're going to have to." 

"You'll get burnt to a crisp then." 

"Recca's worth a little pain." 

"That's not the point!" 

"Then what is it?" 

"We can't possibly bully Resshin into anything!" 

"Then how else are we going to do this?" 

"I can see how they're related," Kokuu muttered to no one in particular. 

"I don't know." 

"There you go again-- clueless as usual." 

"Hey!" Madoka looked genuinely wounded. "I resent that!" 

"Well, you can't think of anything better, so I still say let's go with bullying Resshin into this." Nadare turned to the others, but she was especially anxious to hear Kokuu and Homura's responses. They were considered the most pragmatic and wise of the Hachiryu. 

"It may work," Homura allowed reluctantly. "But I think another way be more effective." 

Kokuu frowned. "You know Resshin's extremely hard to bully into anything…" 

Nadare sighed. "I know, I know…" 

"…but in this case, I think it's necessary." 

"What?!" They all turned to him in astonishment. Kokuu had never been a prevailing advocate of forced decisions. 

Kokuu nodded. "You heard me. Resshin's too stubborn for his own good, like Recca. Father and son can't see their own faults anymore than their own merits sometimes. Just like we had to help Recca along, we have to get Resshin to realize this before he starts regretting it." 

A perplexed silence reigned. Everyone was feeling more than a little shock, but Kokuu's reasoning was sinking in. And slowly, the glints of determination began to appear in everyone's eyes. 

Madoka nodded. "Then it's settled." 

"We're all going," Homura agreed. 

"We'll be one flame again," Rui proclaimed. 

"Saiha…" Nadare warned. 

"I said I'd be good!" He glowered at her in an empty threat as the others broke into the first carefree laughter that he'd heard in days. And somehow, he found it comforting. One flame again. Whole. Complete. Inwardly, he smiled. He liked that. 

* * * * * 

Pausing before turning the doorknob to the meeting room, Kokuu held his finger to his lips, smiled slyly, then peeped inside. After a moment, he turned back to the clustered group. "We're in for it now." 

"Why's that?" Homura inquired. 

"Resshin's being moody." 

"He's in there already?" Rui groaned. "I thought we'd have a little time to prepare?" 

Madoka shrugged. "What's the point? Now is as good a time as you get." 

"I agree," Nadare said. "We'll catch him more off-guard." 

"What is this, a war?" Rui laughed softly. 

Homura smiled slightly. "I'm glad it's not a war. War is a terrible thing." 

Kokuu entered the room and cleared his throat tentatively. "Resshin-sama," he began. "Could we talk with you about something?" 

Sitting at the desk staring at an old, crumbling book, Resshin shot him a scowl. "I'm busy. Talk to me later." 

"Later won't do, Resshin." Nadare walked in with the rest of the dragons behind her. "For all we know, Recca could be dead right now." 

Resshin stiffened slightly. "Don't you start with that pessimistic speculating, Nadare. I told you, I had enough." 

"Why aren't you helping Recca?" Homura suddenly asked bluntly. Everyone stared at him in surprise. Homura usually listened for quite a bit before asking a question and forming his opinion. 

Resshin, too, looked surprised. "I told you, he needs to grow stronger." 

"We've heard that before," Rui said with a sigh. "Resshin, all we really want to do is help Recca, and we know that's what you want to do too. What's stopping you?" 

"Even if there was something, why would I tell you?" Resshin growled. 

Kokuu raised an eyebrow. "So there is something bothering you." 

"Of course there isn't." Resshin sounded annoyed. 

"Resshin, will you please just stop this?!" Nadare said, exasperated. "We're one flame! We can't possibly continue like this, living in constant discord!" Her voice grew pleading. "He's your son! How can you wish for his death? Nobody wants Recca to die!" 

"Kurei does," Kokuu offered unhelpfully. 

"Who asked you?" Madoka muttered. 

Resshin took a deep breath, trying to maintain control. "I don't want Recca dead," he managed to get out through gritted teeth. "I just don't want him to get killed someday trying to protect that girl of his like Koheita died for Sakura--" He suddenly stopped. 

Although the room remained silent, the weight of Resshin's unexpected confession made the silence deafening. So that's the reason, Nadare thought, a twinge of sadness pricking her within. She had watched the demise of the couple with a load of regret; seldom had she seen love so pure. Except for Recca and Yanagi, of course. 

"There wasn't anything you could do," Rui said gently. "Koheita was killed in battle. You can't watch over someone who's been trained for fighting in a war." 

Resshin's head snapped up. "Koheita asked for my help, to keep Sakura from a demented pig of a man. I failed on both accounts. Koheita died, and Sakura killed herself." 

"Listen, Resshin," Madoka began. "I know this might sound wrong, but you did technically keep your promise. Sakura wasn't taken to Takasugi..." Resshin shot him a furious glance. 

Nadare groaned. "You think Recca and Yanagi will end up like that?" 

Madoka flushed. "I didn't mean it that way!" 

"That's what's bothering you?" Kokuu asked. His expression was unreadable. "You're afraid that Recca will end up like Koheita-- killed trying to protect the girl he loves from a man who wants her for less than human reasons?" 

Suddenly Saiha slammed his fist onto the table with a bang, eyes fairly sparking a fire. "That doesn't make sense, Resshin. If anything, the only thing that's going to get him killed is the fact that you're not helping him out. Without eight full flame dragons, who do you think he can beat in the Ura Uruha? You're just going to make history repeat itself and before you know it, you'll be responsible for Recca and Yanagi's death, not to mention probably the rest of the Hokage as well! How much blood do you want on your hands? Sakura chose to kill herself, Koheita was killed trying to protect her! Their blood was shed by their choice, but if you keep up like this, you'll have the deaths of your son and his five friends hanging over your head for the rest of your existance! And when Recca meets you when he's dead, he'll never forgive you-- not because of his own death, but because you failed to give him the power he needed to protect Yanagi. Do you want that? Do you want your son to hate for eternity?" 

Saiha stopped to catch his breath. The other dragons stared at him in surprise. 

"Kami-sama, did that knucklehead actually say something meaningful?" Kokuu muttered. 

Rui shrugged. "Maybe he's not such a child after all." 

Saiha's words seemed to hit a genuine nerve in Resshin. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, shaking his head wordlessly. 

Nadare gently patted his shoulder. "I can understand if you're worried about him. He's a bit reckless, with a complete lack of caution and an overwhelming desire to protect his friends. That makes for a dangerous combination. And I can also see why you don't want him to follow in Koheita's footsteps. Koheita was killed trying to keep Sakura from falling into the wrong hands, someone who wanted her for all the wrong reasons. It's happening all over again, with Yanagi and Mori Kouran. But Resshin, are you trying to change what's going on? All you're doing is making it more dangerous for your son as it is." 

"I know that! But every time I see him…I think, 'Kami-sama, my son's going to end up dead like Koheita did…' and I just can't stand it! Koheita died, yes, but Sakura was devastated after she found out. She would have killed herself anyway, whether we won or not." Resshin rubbed his temples. "I thought nothing could ever be worse than that bloody situation. I never dreamed that I'd go through the same thing, with my son and another girl!" 

Madoka sighed. "The fact that he's your son makes it ten times worse, on top of the situation itself being worse, doesn't it?" 

"I never thought Recca would be Koheita's reincarnation," Resshin confessed. "I would have never wished for it, either. On one hand, I admired Koheita greatly. He was one of the finest warriors I had ever met, with a bearing that spoke of nobility written in blood, not bloodlines. He was kind without being too kind, clever, and cared deeply about Sakura. But the fate that befell him! It's not that he was killed-- it's that his death killed more than just himself. It killed Sakura as well, and many of his friends were disheartened." 

"Koheita was special," Rui murmered. "The very epitome of what any man should be like." 

"So you have mixed feelings on this. You'd feel proud of Recca because he resembles Koheita in spirit, whom you thought highly of. But you also feel that the situation will leave Recca in an even worse situation than Koheita, and also the current Hokage." As usual, Kokuu had everything lined up. 

Resshin nodded. "But I keep thinking that maybe, if I don't help him, he'll eventually give up, and just live a normal life. But he's being so stubborn-- why can't he realize that he's being given such a golden chance to live a normal life?" Resshin sounded almost anguished. "I know he didn't choose to be Hokage leader. I didn't either. I want him to escape this cycle. Hokage leaders never led happy lives" 

"You'll never be happy unless you let yourself be happy," Madoka returned quietly. "And as for Recca forgetting the idea, you will never convince him, Resshin. Recca's got your stubbornness, and Yanagi is in danger right now. She's been captured by Mori. He needs your help or else he's going to get killed." 

Resshin half-leaped up. "Why don't one of you stop him?" 

"Would you have stopped Koheita?" Madoka levelled a glance at him. 

Resshin sighed. His frame seemed to deflate as he sank back down to the chair. "No," he admitted. 

"Won't you please help him?" Nadare pleaded. "He's going to go anyway, Resshin. At least with your help, he'll have the best chance of surviving. And this way, you can make sure that what happened to Koheita won't happen to him." 

"I don't think I can do that. I'm not exactly a conventional parent," Resshin said moodily. 

"Which is why you can keep a closer eye on him," Nadare explained. "All we want is to keep him safe. At least let him meet you. Don't you want to see your son again?" 

Resshin stood and turned his back towards them, instead gazing out the window. "He's grown into such a fine young man," he murmered. "I haven't been there to see any of it. Neither has Kagero." 

"He's been happy, Resshin," Madoka said gently. "That's all that counts. And now, you have a chance to be a part of your son's life again. Don't waste this chance." 

Resshin turned back around, a familiar mischevious glint in his eye. "I never thought I'd be coaching my son through a death match as a flame dragon," he said with a short laugh. "But I guess there's a reason for everything." He appeared thoughtful. "Of course, he'll still need to prove that he's ready for such an endeavor. What will I need to make sure he's got? I know he has stubbornness, but does he have the necessary patience to be a ninja--" 

"Wait, Resshin! So you'll meet with him?" Nadare broke in excitedly. 

Resshin smiled-- the first true smile she'd seen from him for days. "Yes." 

"And your power? When will you give him the power to unite the flame?" 

Resshin flexed his fingers absently. "If he passes my test, and proves himself worthy of it, then he will meet me, and he will eventually receive the power of the last flame dragon. But he'll need to understand his past, too, and what he's up against as Koheita's reincarnation." 

"You old buzzer." Saiha snickered. "Giving your son a test just to meet you." 

"Aw, Resshin'll be waiting just as eagerly on the other side," Rui teased. 

"Will not," Resshin grumbled, but there was no mistaking the light in his eyes at the mere mention of Recca. 

As the other dragons joined into the easy banter and teasing, Nadare laughed with them with a freedom that she'd forgotten. She could see the other dragons' tight tempers and nerves dissipate in the conversation. Homura's expression grew less stern, while Madoka's had become less tense and the lines of his face more relaxed. Saiha was back to his regular insulting self, and so was Kokuu. Yet neither was engaging the usual name-calling competition that usually occurred. The biggest change was in Resshin. Before, he'd been tight-lipped and sour-faced, occassionally shooting daggers at whoever happened to be annoying him. Now, he poked fun unobtrusively at Saiha, his face twisted in a wry smile as he watched the other's indignant reaction. Obviously, Recca's plight had affected all of them more than anybody wanted to admit. 

"I knew Resshin had a good reason for all that," Madoka said to her in a low voice. Still, the other dragon's eyes sparkled with good humor. 

Nadare nodded emphathetically. "You were right," she said sincerely. "I'm glad, too." 

"That he's not a heartless bastard?" 

"He never was." 

"Really. Can't convince me you thought that way." 

Nadare shook her head and laughed again, reveling in the freedom of the sound. Now that Recca would have every chance possible against the Ura Uruha, it felt as though a great load had been lifted from her shoulders and placed on the shelf where it belonged. 

Seven eighths before had always felt so wrong. One flame was so much better. 

* * * * * 

________________________________________________

Author's Notes: Takasugi was the old-time equivalent of Mori, I would think.  
________________________________________________ 


	4. Epilogue: Fathers and Sons

**Epilogue: Fathers and Sons**

  
* * * * * 

"Resshin, I don't believe you! You're sending a _leaf_ to lead Recca on a test through all _that_?" Madoka gestured towards the rows of ninja traps and tricks that Resshin had carefully set up. "I thought we went through this before! Do you want to help or kill your son?"

"Hey, if he's smart enough, he's not going to get killed," Resshin shot back.

Homura sighed. "Madoka, your mother hen instinct is starting to come through again." Kokuu, checking another gimmick nearby, snickered when he heard that. Madoka gave both of them a withering look before slunking off.

Resshin watched him go. "Thank you," he said with a sigh of relief. "Although a head of caution is a nice thing to have around, Madoka's a bit too much at times."

"His life would explain that," Homura replied reasonably. "That is quite a test you have lined up for Recca, though."

"It is pretty difficult," Resshin acknowledged, nudging one of the triggers with his foot. A barrage of sharpened bamboo came sweeping forward with a deadly silence, ready to drain the blood away from the unfortunate victim. "But this is no worse than what the Ura Uruha will set against him. Besides, his level should have increased so that his ninja capabilities will have the seven of you woven into the mix."

Nadare gave them a severe glance as she came over and began resetting the trap. "Will you stop playing with them already? This is the third one I've had to set up again, and you know this one is the worst to redo," she growled in mock-annoyance. Resshin only grinned. "Are you sure he can handle this, though?" Nadare sounded a bit anxious.

Resshin shot her an amused look. "Are you doubting my judgement, Nadare?"

Nadare laughed. "No, of course not. I'm not doubting Recca's ability to handle this either. I just don't want anything to happen."

"I'm the last person to want something to happen to Recca, so you needn't worry," Resshin told her. "This is fair, don't you think?"

"Not my kind of thing, but I guess it's alright." Nadare carefully replaced the last bamboo shoot and walked off. "And don't you set it off again! I know I did it right!" she called over her shoulder.

Homura watched her go, then turned back to Resshin with a serious look. "Madoka is right in a way," he said quietly. "You don't want to get Recca killed. You've set quite a few lethal traps that with the slightest mistake will be fatal. There's not much room around these. I know he's very talented, but talent can only go so far. Nothing makes up for experience."

"I know." Resshin rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking stressed. "But unfortunately, time isn't something he has. If he's going to attack the Ura Uruha, my traps will be a piece of cake compared to what they'll throw at him."

"Easy or not, fatality is one consequence that is irreversible, Resshin." Homura sighed. "But, like you said, he might as well learn here than at the hands of a group of sadistic torturers."

"I never said that," Resshin said, a smile quirking on his face. "But that's around what I meant."

Homura nodded. "Has Kokuu gone to meet the Hokage yet?"

"I wouldn't know," Resshin admitted. 

"He just left," Rui called. She patted her hands on her robe, trying to get rid of the dust. "We're pretty much set, so if you want to go meditate a bit, Resshin-sama, you're free to."

"Thank you, Rui. I'd appreciate that." Although he didn't show it, Homura could tell that Resshin was relieved to have some time to himself.

"Homura, let's go," Nadare called. "We don't want to set off these obstacles again."

"Heavens forbid," Homura said with a slight laugh. His eyes twinkled with good humor as they began to walk off. "If I did set anymore off anymore, you'd come after me with a butcher knife."

"Am I really that terrible?" Nadare questioned good-naturedly. 

"Of course not," Homura reassured her. "I've just never had a way with words, I suppose."

Madoka chuckled. "Everyone has their shortcomings."

"You'd know better than most," was Saiha's usual obtuse contribution.

"That's because Madoka observes far more than you do," Rui said sweetly. "Of course, you'd also be quite familiar with that little fact, Saiha."

Saiha shrugged. "So what?"

Rui shook her head, but a smile played on her lips. "Do you think Recca will be alright?" she asked Madoka, changing the subect.

Madoka thought about it. "If you asked before the tournament, I would have thought you'd lost your mind. But now, his senses have gotten sharper, and he's gotten much more strategic about using our powers. He definetely has a good chance."

"He'll do fine," Homura said shortly. "He's a fine young ninja." That was a high compliment from Homura, who was sparse with words and even less so with praise.

"In the meantime, we should be the welcoming committee," Rui suddenly decided.

"What?"

"Well, Recca's got to have some encouragement, shouldn't he?" Rui waggled her finger. "Here you all are, talking about ways to help him, but you're missing the most direct way of helping him. Why, he'll lose heart halfway through!"

"He doesn't exactly strike me as the type with low confidence," Madoka said with a roll of his eyes. "I don't think anything we say, if we said anything at all, would make a difference in the least."

"Well, it couldn't hurt," Nadare conceded. "And sometimes nice words can help."

"Unless the person's being insincere and flattering," Saiha interjected.

They all looked at him. "What?" he asked.

Nadare sighed. "Incorrigible as ever."

"Wait, Recca!" Kagero exclaimed. "Yanagi is still alive! The Eikai Ball sensed her presence!"

"So what?" Recca's eyes were smoldering with a flame that would no doubt become a conflagration as soon as he got within striking distance of anyone who looked to be a good target. "Mori said he'd become one with Hime! There isn't any time to spare! She's in danger!" He strode off, only to bump into someone. "Move…Kokuu." 

Kokuu inwardly sighed. Recca had no patience at a time like this. Well, the young fool would have to learn eventually. "I understand my master's feelings well," he said, speaking more to the Hokage than the infuriated Recca. "But still…"

"You--you--"

Kokuu turned on him with all the quickness and ferocity of a striking tiger. "At a time like this, you _must _keep your heart calm!" Otherwise, Recca would probably be flayed alive. Kokuu wanted nothing more than to shake some sense into Recca. Rage might inspire extra power, but it was suicide for a ninja, who valued caution and strategy above everything else. 

"Recca…I'm sorry," Fuuko said softly. Guilt lined her face. "When Yanagi was captured…if only Domon and I were there, this might not have happened…"

Recca's posture went rigid. "Fuuko…"

Fuuko took this to mean anger. "I'm sorry…" she whispered. It was obvious that she thought her apology was horribly inadequete.

Kokuu watched the scene with mixed feelings. On one hand, he admired all the Hokage's courage to be truthful in the face of rage, scorn, or anything. On the other, he hoped desperately that Recca would realize that none of this could have really been prevented, except through sheer luck. He knew Recca loved his friends dearly, but compared to what he felt for Yanagi...

Recca turned to face his childhood friend. "Don't say that, baka. It's my fault…we didn't contact you," he said quietly. "I'm the one who should say that I'm sorry."

__

He's grown, Kokuu realized. He'd forgotten to take into account the hardening the Ura Butou Satsoujin did to anyone that participated. Recca had learned a great deal-- not only in fighting, but in leadership. He knew, just like Kokuu did, that there was nothing that could have been done to prevent a situation like this. What mattered now was what they could do to get out of it. _There's still time to strike!_ he thought. "Since Yanagi-chan is still alive!"

"Some gurantee to tell us!" Recca shot him a scowl. "Do you know something or what?"

Kokuu hadn't realized he'd even spoken the words out loud, but rose to the occasion and drew himself up to his full height, which was still unimpressive. "Of course I do!" He took a deep breath. "I made madougu!"

Reactions varied, from jaw-dropping shock to dumbfounded speechlessness. "You're kidding…"

__

Well, that went better than I expected, Kokuu reflected wryly. He had half-expected them to laugh their heads off. The other half had expected murderous impulses. "Fuujin…Ensui…Kougan Anki…Dosei no Wa…" He named the madougu with a certain pride. "Everyone holds one of my creations! Kaima and I, we competed in making madougu that are complementary-- for death, for life. Because we had different values, the powers of the madougu changed. Raijin and Fuujin, for example…one is inclined towards darkness, the other towards light. But all the madougu we made have one thing in common-- they have magical powers."

Understanding was slowly dawning on their faces. Kokuu watched their comprehension with some unease. But no hostility appeared on their faces. They didn't blame him for this.

He continued. "And then there is the secret behind the women who heal-- Yanagi's power. Like Fuujin and Raijin, there is an opposite power. A precedence exists that says there is an opposite mutual power, a black to counter the white."

"A precedence?" Recca's eyes narrowed. 

"Which I know of," Kokuu hastily reassured him. "In other words, it's not as simple as it seems. Mori can't just go, "I'll eat her!", and he knows it. Well, Mori doesn't really know, but the man inside him, Kaima, knows that." An oddly harsh glint appeared in Kokuu's eyes. "Kaima knows it very well."

"Then…" Recca clenched his fist in determination. "Hime can be saved! She can still be saved!"

__

He's so much like Koheita. But Koheita had been calm, observant, and patient. Recca was easily excitable, impulsive, and rash-- in other words, Koheita's exact opposite. Yet there was an uncanny resemblence between the two, one that Kokuu could not quite place a finger on. It ran deeper than physical traits, or even personality; it was almost as if it were embedded within the soul.

"True…she can be saved," he began. "But-- perhaps this fight-- perhaps, it will be the final fight." He paused to let his words take weight. "The past of the Hokage ninja is stained with more blood than this world could ever spill…and the Hokage are the cursed of the cursed. The history of the Hokage will be severed, once and for all, by an apocalyptic battle, where the madougu of light and dark will at last clash." 

Kokuu suddenly whirled and faced Recca, his glare fixating Recca to the ground with its strength. "Seventh head of the Hokage ninja," he thundered in a deep voice that rumbled ominously. "Hanabishi Recca! There is someone who wants to meet you…" Kokuu's eyes seemed to glow. "The leader of the Hachiryu-- Resshin!"

* * * * *

"Always one for dramatics, Kokuu is." Rui laughed, watching the action through the portal. "That took him long enough."

"What he said was true, though," Madoka said seriously. "The Hokage are a shadow in a garden of light. And all the signs are pointing towards this battle as the final one."

"Bah. That's old news," Saiha scoffed.

"Not to them, it's not," Homura returned reasonably. 

Nadare shrugged. "Well, whatever Kokuu did, he managed to get Recca to come here."

"It's a good thing he was tactful," Madoka remarked. "Resshin didn't say he'd give Recca his power."

"Kokuu has always been careful about what he says," Nadare agreed. "But Resshin's just making sure Recca isn't in over his head."

"I hope he isn't," Homura said grimly. "If he is, he'll probably end up losing his head as well."

Rui squinted in the distance. "Oi, Homura."

"What is it?"

"Shut up, or keep the attitude in. Recca's here."

Homura looked mildly exasperated. "I was simply stating the truth."

"Okay, but the truth isn't the most important thing here."

Saiha scowled at no one in particular. "And you guys say _I'm_ incorrigible."

"Hush," Rui hissed. "Come on. You guys can gripe at me later."

"I'm looking forward to it," Saiha muttered.

* * * * *

Recca stepped into the world with more than a little nervousness playing on his nerves. He saw the familiar scenery, complete with omnipresent sand and random objects scattered at sparse intervals. 

He blinked as four figures came into view.

"You guys!"

The surprised exclaimation did nothing to dampen Rui's enthusiasm, who looked almost as if she were on a playground with her lively expression. But it was Nadare who spoke first.

"Truly, Recca, you are ambitious," she said solemnly, her eyes a myriad of emotions thrown together. "And now, at last, you will speak with Resshin."

Saiha smiled slightly. "Gaining Resshin's power is essential to what you need to do," he said shortly. "Through you, we saw what was necessary."

"To destroy the Tendoujigoku, your heart must be strong," Rui said, her play attitude disappearing as quickly as a cobra strike. Her eyes had become hardened amber. "You should get moving, Recca. Resshin is there--waiting for you."

Recca nodded tightly and turned to follow Kokuu. Somehow, he sensed that even though he was in the realm of the flame dragons, he could still call upon them as needed. They were his dragons, after all, and he was their chosen master. They would follow him to the ends of the universe and back if they had to. Such was the extent of the loyalty between the Hokage and their madougu, and between Recca and his dragons. 

As they watched his figure disappear, one by one, the flame dragons turned to each other.

"Well, there's nothing left we can do now, except wait," Madoka concluded. 

* * * * *

Several hours later…

"He made it," Nadare announced, breathing a huge sigh of relief.

"He's not bad for a boy," Madoka remarked. "Very good, actually. I was impressed."

"So now, he and Resshin are talking, right?" Saiha asked. Madoka nodded. "Then let's listen in!"

"That's eavesdropping," Madoka objected. "That would hardly be right, to intrude on such a private moment. Resshin-- or rather, Ouka-- and Recca have never technically met before."

"Don't be such a priss," Rui teased. "You want to hear just as much as we do; you might as well just admit it."

Madoka glared at her before finally giving in with an exasperated growl.

* * * * *

"I'm pleased with you, Recca," Resshin's deep dragon-form voice intoned. "As a reward, I'll show you my human form." The mass of flame and fire coalesced into a thick-featured man with a piercing gaze.

Recca looked a bit disconcerted. "You're--you're--" He didn't seem capable of forming a whole sentence, let alone making it coherent.

"Hokage Ninja, sixth generation leader, Ouka. Your and Kurei's father." No pride marked Ouka's speech. "And now, I exist within and through you, as the leader of the Hachiryu, not as Ouka, but as Resshin."

Recca didn't look terribly reassured. In fact, he looked downright bewildered. His face was twisted in a comical combination of curiousity and consternation. 

Ouka sighed. "You're still confused about the situation, aren't you? I don't blame you." A big smile suddenly appeared on his face as he opened his arms wide. "What the hell…It's been a long time since I've met my son! Come here, Recca! Come into your father's arms!"

Recca didn't move an inch. His expression now as scared as a rabbit, with a bit of confused disgust mixed in. Finally, after a moment, his muscles relaxed a bit, having decided that this weird guy was really his father. Unfortunately, Ouka took that for a lapse in Recca's guard and decked him on the head. 

"Foolish!" Ouka pointed at the now extremely irritated Recca and began to laugh with a truly crazy look on his face. "This isn't the time to let me into your heart! That's negligence, and that means death! In normal times, you can let me into your heart!" He began to laugh harder.

* * * * *

"And this guy is our leader?" Saiha asked in disbelief. "He's losing his mind!"

"Well, he's probably just excited to see his son again," Madoka reasoned.

"But he just gave his son a bump the size of Japan!"

Nadare shrugged. "Come on, Saiha, Resshin's just overreacting a bit. You can't tell me you wouldn't do the same thing."

"I couldn't tell you," he said, his tone slightly bitter. "I never had any kids."

Nadare flinched slightly. "Sorry." Saiha only grunted in reply.

"I think Resshin's reaction is just a bit over the top, though," Homura commented. "I certainly would act differently if I were meeting my son for the first time in four hundred years."

Rui suddenly chuckled. "Everyone's different, I guess. That's what makes the world turn. Resshin just turns it a bit more than necessary."

* * * * *

Recca face stretched into a grin, not evil but not wholly pleasantly either, and snickered. "You're kind of like oyaji…" he mused. "Got rid of the tension between us." On a whim, he stuck out his hand, the grin still plastered on his face. "I'm your kid! Nice to meetcha!" he said, his voice slightly satirical.

"Oh-ho? You've got guts," Ohka marveled in the same tone. 

"My, my," Kokuu drawled from the side. "This is far from the open tears I expected in a four hundred year reunion."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Recca exclaimed. "Why are you here?"

"I just am," Kokuu returned casually. He turned to Ouka. "You only wanted to see your son, didn't you? That's why you called him here. I could see it-- you had the face of a father just a minute ago."

Ouka's ears turned red. "Of course not!" he protested, nervously scratching his arm. Just like Kokuu to make a emotional fool out of him, he thought sourly. Well, there were plenty of chances to get back at him. "When I saw him as a baby, you see, I thought he would be normal, but…I mean, yes, it's happy, but really, all I wanted was to see his natural internal stupidity!" A flurry of wildly flailing fists temporarily interrupted him. "Ow! Ow! Be kinder to your father's face!" he yelled at Recca.

"Then watch what you say, you--"

"I'm your father, you idiot! You're supposed to obey me!"

"Like hell I am--"

"You ungrateful--"

Kokuu watched the brawl with an ever-growing sweatdrop on his head. _This isn't even a bit sentimental…_

* * * * *

Sweatdrops also appeared on the other five dragons' heads. 

Nadare hit her forehead to the palm of her forehead. "All that work, from all of us, just to see them get black eyes and broken noses…" she groaned. She didn't kow whether to laugh her head off at the irony of the situation or go out there herself to strangle both Recca and Resshin.

"What a family reunion-- wish mine were that exciting," Madoka said with a chuckle. 

"Do you think Resshin will give Recca the power to unite us?" Rui wondered in a rare serious moment.

Homura's mouth twisted into a slight smile. "I'd think so," he said. "Resshin and Recca have met-- our job is done for now. There's nothing left that we can do. We can only let father and son work things out between them now."

"Unless one of you want to go out there and break those two up," Saiha said with a snort. "They're really going at it."

They looked at each other. "Nahhhh." 

"We've worked enough," Madoka said. He sat down on a nearby couch. "Let Resshin do some work for once." He stretched and then reached for a cup of water nearby.

Nadare flopped down on the armchair. Rui sat down next to her on the floor. "So what do we do now?" Rui asked her.

Nadare just laughed. "Nothing. Resshin and Recca are technically talking, and Resshin will guide Recca through his past. All we can do now is wait."

"For the Ura Uruha?"

"Yes. And for Resshin to join us."

"I hate waiting," Rui complained. "Haven't we waited enough?"

Nadare shrugged. "Well, that's what we're going to have to do."

"I can't believe that our master is acting like that-- getting into a fistfight with one of his own dragons!" Saiha muttered. "Let's ditch him."

"I don't think you'd want that even if you could ditch him," Madoka remarked insightfully. "Admit it. We're stuck with him because we want to be. We're his dragons, and we'd follow him anywhere he goes, even if he tries to go down to the pits of hell."

"That's probably where we're going," Homura murmered.

"But at least we're going there as one flame instead of having one dragon splintered off," Nadare pointed out. "Doesn't that feel a whole lot better?"

"Much more comforting," admitted Madoka. Homura nodded his agreement.

"Now, if only Resshin will get some direction sense," Rui began.

Nadare shook her head. "Rui, that's one thing we'll never be able to do anything about. Just hope Recca didn't inherit the same direction sense."

As they talked and laughed and conversed, they all knew that what Homura said was true. They were going to get dragged down to the bottom of hell. But hell also knew that they were not going to let it take their master. They were the Hachiryu. They were one flame. And they would not let themselves-- or their master-- be defeated.

* * * * * 

  
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Author's Notes: Well, that's it! Flame dragon introspection is finished. I can't believe I actually finished this story-- nor did I think it would turn out this long. I had fun writing it though. I'm always open to ideas, so if you have a good one, let me know.

Ja ne! --Katanashi  
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End file.
